At this time of year coughs and colds are prevalent, the stress of Christmas and sometimes burning the candle at both ends during the holiday season can leave your immune system a little under par.
Rather than turning to the medicine cabinet, why not try boosting your immune system in a more holistic way? You might be surprised at what works:
Mingle
It is easy to stay at home in-doors when the weather is wet and cold, but actually getting out, meeting with friends and family and having meaningful interactions reduces chronic stress, which in turn reduces negative impacts on your immune system.
Pets
I’m not suggesting that you buy a pet for Christmas, but households that have pets are likely to have stronger defences long-term, as generally you are exposed to a few more germs which builds a tougher immune system over time. This is especially true for children.
Laugh
There is just no substitute for laughing, having a deep belly-laugh with friends or your partner, reading a fantastically funny book, or watching a comedy on the TV – it doesn’t matter what you are laughing at, but the process itself has great health benefits – it boosts your natural killer T cell activity which again reduces stress on the body.
Music
Listening to your favourite music has a very similar affect to laughing, in that it enhances natural killer T cell activity, but it also stimulates the feel-good elements of the brain. You want to choose a piece of music that literally sends shivers down your spine for the best impact.
Sex & Singing
I’m not suggesting that you do these two things at the same time! But making love once to twice a week raises your body’s IgA levels, these protect you from bacterial and viral infections. But if sex is not an option then the same increase in IgA can be achieved by singing. It is thought that the more passionately that you sing then the higher increase in IgA, this has been previously tested when analysing the difference in choir singers from rehearsal and the actual performance.
Spirituality
It is thought that people with strong spiritual beliefs live longer than those that do not attend or believe in any type of faith system. In research a key immune system protein was found in higher levels in people who attended weekly services against their peers that did not (this study was done in 65+ age people over a 12-year period).
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